What Is ‘Death March’? Why Do Some Penguins Leave Their Families & Survival Behind?

If you use social media enough, you might have noticed a viral video of a lone penguin from Antarctica leaving its family and colony behind and walking sadly towards the hills. The penguin is actually from a 2007 documentary, but the internet has now labelled it the ‘nihilist penguin’. This walk is being described as a ‘death march’ online. Here is why some penguins leave their colonies and walk away.

Penguin’s Death March Goes Viral On Internet 

A video of a penguin has now broken the internet. Hundreds of reposts and reshares of the clip appear every day. The video shows a penguin walking away from its colony and heading towards the hills in Antarctica. According to a report by India Today, the viral ‘nihilist penguin’ is from Werner Herzog’s 2007 documentary, Encounters at the End of the World. In the clip, an Adelie penguin breaks away from the colony and walks towards the distant mountains.

The documentary may be old, but the internet has rediscovered it now. Many people find the penguin deeply relatable. Memes based on the clip are being widely shared across social media. Many say they see themselves in the penguin’s quiet walk away. The term ‘nihilist’ is used to describe someone who believes life is meaningless and chooses to walk away from everything. This is why the penguin has earned the name ‘nihilist penguin’ online. 

You might now be wondering why this walk is being called a ‘death march’. Penguins usually stay close to the sea and with their family. Walking inland, away from water and other penguins, reduces their chances of survival. This behaviour is extremely rare. When a penguin leaves its colony and heads towards the mountains, it is unlikely to survive. That is why the walk is described as a ‘death march’.

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What Makes A Penguin Walk Away From Its Colony?

Before starting the walk towards the mountains, the penguin looks back at the colony one last time and then walks away, never to return. The visual is undoubtedly sad. It also raises many questions. Why would a penguin leave its colony behind? What causes this behaviour?

According to a report by NDTV, penguins do not experience existential crises or philosophical thoughts like humans. In some cases, penguins become disoriented due to illness, injury, or physiological issues. This disorientation causes them to move inland instead of towards the sea.

In the documentary, penguin researcher Dr David Ainley explains that the penguin is heading into the interior of the continent. It would eventually starve, freeze, or die from exhaustion. Even if the penguin were to return to the colony, it would likely repeat the same behaviour.

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This means that illness or injury can sometimes cause penguins to abandon their colony and walk towards death. It’s very rare, but not unheard of. Have you seen the viral video yet?

Cover Image Courtesy: @AMAZlNGNATURE/X